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My second stab at a Mikkeller brew I really enjoyed the Stateside IPA,poured into a small tulip glass sort of a slight hazed deep russet color a well formed 2 finger clingy light beige colored head atop it had great lasting power.At first pop of the cork a powerful resiny hop aroma hit me and a smile crossed my face that mixed in with a brown sugar and cakey alcohol fruitiness I knew this was gonna be a doozy.Hmm after a few sips I notice that its not anywhere near as potent as I thought it would be or as bold flavor wise a little watery in the mouthfeel department definently not a big chewey barley wine.Flavors fall a bit flat compared to the aromas dark fruit sweetness mixed with brown sugar and alcohol the hops are much more subdued than what I had imagined and or hoped giving a hint of medicinal-like and white pepper flavors in the finish along with a lasting alcohol sweetness.Maybe as others have suggested cellaring might be the ticket here but it wont help out its lighter mouthfeel,it started out great and kinda peetered out in the finish.

T: A Powerful taste with lots pf vinous fruits and a massive flavor of sweet malts. Chocolate, fudge, plenty of caramel, dusty cellar and raisins. Some bready notes. Has a slight Madeira-like quality to it. The finish is somewhat bitter and has lots of warming alcohol in it. Some chestnuts, juicy malts and notes of spicy hops. The alcohol is really noticeable and leaves a rather boozy sensation in the mouth.

M: Rather full body, very smooth. Very, very low levels of carbonation. After a while, it gets slightly sticky.

D: A good and powerful beer. Very malt-forward with the hops playing a minor role. I enjoyed it but I think the alcohol was just a little too prominent in it. Definitely a sipper.

Best before 2/7/12. Opens with a gentle "pop" after working the synthetic cork off the top. Glows a bright red color with orange highlights and a thin head.

The aroma is rich and can be smelled from a distance. Candi sugar mingles with sprucy hops, molasses, mint, and alcohol fumes going in and out. Smells better than it tastes.

Low carbonation and high alcohol make for a fairly thick and syrupy beer. Sweet candi sugar, raisin, and a stale hop character. It's a little sweeter than I prefer but it does dry out just enough in the finish to be ok.

Aroma is kind of simple, light caramel basically with some hints of raisin and fig. Just a touch of floral hops peak through. Kind of unremarkable.

Taste has more going on. Nice malty undertones. Sweet with sugar and caramel. Dark, ripe fruits of raisins and plums. Alcohol is there but under control. Some citrus and floral hints from some hops show through. Pretty good.

Smooth full mouthfeel that coats well and the flavor lingers, a touch of bitterness in the end.

Pretty drinkable too. Not the most complex, but a solid beer, no doubt. Has some rough edges from the hops and alcohol, but it is an American style barleywine, so it is expected. The size of this beer is well hidden, no alcohol hotness at all.

This beer was served in a tulip glass. It was a ruby red color with a small tan head that quickly disappeared. The beer was actually pretty still. It had a dark fruit aroma, as well as a little caramel. Interesting aroma. The taste was fruity, prunes/raisins. A little warming spice from the alcohol. Maybe a touch too sharp for me, but still a nice beer.

12.7 oz bottle, caged and corked. Pours a murky dark tea color with a thin off white head that quickly diminishes to a thin film and small collar.

The aroma is sweet candy-like caramel, melon and spicy alcohol.The flavor is sweet sugary caramel and dark fruits/melon with a big burnt bitter alcoholic burn at the finish. The mouthfeel is medium and slightly watery with low carbonation.

Overall, a big bitter barley wine. It's not very balanced at all and too alcoholic for me.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with subdued carbonation and some spicy alcohol burn.

Taste has a dominant citrus rind bitterness. Some spicy alcohol burn suggests this one might need some maturation. Underlying malt backbone is sturdy and offers up some caramel sweetness. A mildly sweet citrusy orange presence appears midway through but quickly yields to the dominant hop bitterness.

Definitely an American style barleywine with assertive hop bitterness. A bit hot at this stage with an alcohol burn that is a bit distracting.

Pours murky brown with no head. Not a very attractive beer. The aroma is strong caramel malt with some dark fruit and alcohol. This smells very boozy. Flavor is lots of alcohol and dark fruit. Some raisins and still very boozy. Get some caramel malt. Medium mouthfeel, but too much alcohol to be very drinkable.

Pours murky brown with a short off-white head. Alcoholic candy in the nose. Some wood, pine needles, and lots of brown sugar. Taste is liquor-esque. Sweet and tangy up front with resin and grapefruit/orange-slice candy flavors. Oaky-brandy notes follow with a bit of carmelized apples and figs. The alcohol burn takes hold, giving it a cognac finish. Awesome beer.

Pours a dark muddy brown with no head at all - I'm really hoping this isn't flat. Nose is Very booze and sweet/malty. Slight raisin and toffee.

Has a very light carbonation, slightly watery on the finish but still a decent body. It's quite sharp and boozy with a noticeable warming sensation. Taste is a bit unpleasant, more like a wine or something than most barleywines. It's ok but I wouldn't seek it out.

Appears a deep murky blood orange red brown in color with a large beige head dwindles down to fine even lacing. Aroma is tart with ripened fruit soaked in raw fusel alcohol. Abundant hop notes intertwined in the luscious malt character brings the aromatics around full character. Flavor is unsynchronized with raw hop bitterness, astringent alcohol, and overly sweet candy sugar additions might as well package this one in forties and sell in the 7/11 down the street. This is extreme beer at it's worse, might as well call this one the skullsplitter. After a half glass my eyes are blurring and my temples are buzzing, I feel like I just got done reinsulating my attic as my skin becomes warm and flush and my nose burns from the alcohol fumes. As you can see I'm not going to add to the hype of this brewery, I will give their other brews a shot. Mouthfeel is astringent in every aspect coats the palate with earthy hop oils, hot alcohol, and overtly sweet sugars in the malt profile causing me to want to go scrape my tongue. Literally causes my gag reflex to work, so let's motion to kick this one out of the UN of beers. Drinkability is shite the worst beer I've had in a long time, by the way nice synthetic cork maybe those brewers can use this one as a substitute butt plug, because this beer tastes like ass.

Bottle from Green's on Buford in Atlanta. Been looking at this one for a while and finally pulled the trigger.

Pours a hazy chestnut brown color with a very thin off-white head. The head recedes into a thin ring around the glass leaving no lacing but decent legs.

Smells of sticky caramel malts with good amounts of brown sugar and buttered rum aromas.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Sweet caramel malt flavors with hints of milk chocolate and larger amounts of brown sugar. Slightly buttery flavors come into things midway through the sip and carry through to a decidedly sweet ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with very light but sufficient carbonation.

Drinkability is also good. I finished my glass without a problem and could have another.

Overall this was about what I expected it to be, just with less hops. Definitely an English barleywine and a good still version. Worth a shot.

(Served in a snifter)After fighting and fighting with the synthetic cork once it was removed there wasn't even the slightest pop sound. A- This beer has a deep brown body with a light glow of brown at the base of the glass. There is a sea of microbubbles that glide to the surface supporting a big bubble tan head that has a yellow hue to it and stays sticky before fading to a thick ring.

S- This beer has an earthy resin hop note without the pine qualities followed by a light wet wood and dry caramel note. The finish had a soft citrus quality that reminded me more of yeasty cherry notes than citrus fruit notes.

T-This beer has a soft caramel note with a slight coffee malt bitterness behind it and this develops into a raw sugar taste. There is a light tart citrus finish like dried tangerine rinds but it is pretty light.

M- The medium-light mouthfeel has no alcohol heat even when the beer has warmed a bit.

D- This beer has some nice sweetness but nothing to balance or support it. The orange quality at the finish is mysterious but not bold enough to and much interest.